Background
After the September 11, 2001 attack on World Trade Center and on the Pentagon, the U.S. military waged war against terrorism worldwide. On October 7, 2001, under Operation Enduring Freedom the air campaign was begun to root out Osama bin Laden, the Al Qaeda network of terrorists and Taliban supporters from Afghanistan. As part of a humanitarian effort, the U.S. dropped humanitarian rations daily to Afghan refugees. Over 700,000 rations have been dropped over Afghanistan since the beginning of the operation. To protect the United States and its shores against further terrorist attacks, Homeland Security, a new agency was created to work jointly with other government agencies and with U.S. military forces deployed in the U.S. under Operation Noble Eagle.
Afghanistan Deployment Atlas, Feb 04
Chronology of Important Events
Chronology of Important Events
| September 11, 2001 |
After the attack on World Trade Center and on the Pentagon, the U.S. military waged war against terrorism worldwide. |
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| September 28, 2001 |
U.S. troops were deployed to the Persian Gulf. |
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| October 7, 2001 |
Under Operation Enduring Freedom, the U. S. wages an air campaign against the Taliban and the Al Qaeda terrorist organization in Afghanistan. |
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| October 15, 2001 |
Approximately 25 aircraft, including about 15 carrier-based tactical aircraft and about eight to 10 long-range bombers, struck seven planned target areas that included military training facilities, surface-to-air missile storage sites, garrison areas, troop staging areas, and al Qaeda infrastructure. |
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| November 10, 2001 |
U.S. forces worked with the Northern Alliance to seize control of the Taliban stronghold of the city of Mazar-e Sharif and north of Kabul. Northern Alliance groups are making gains south of Kabul and around the western city of Herat. |
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| January 11, 2002 |
More than 1,000 U.S. service members are en route to the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to provide security for the Al Queda detainees under U.S. control. |
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| March 1, 2002 |
Operation Anaconda was carried out by a force of about 2,000 soldiers whose mission was to destroy all Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters in and around the Shahi Khot region. This operation concluded successfully on March 18, 2002. |
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